Department for Transport

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish an up-to-date cost estimate and business case for HS2 Phase 1; and whether they will table a motion for approval of each in both Houses of Parliament before permanent works begin.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Full Business Case for Phase One will be published later in 2019 and will include an assessment of the latest estimates of cost, schedule and benefits. Publication of the Full Business Case will support authorisation of Notice to Proceed for Phase One which is when HS2 Ltd instructs its main works civil contractors to commence construction of the railway. The Government already has the statutory powers to build HS2 Phase One. Authorisation of Notice to Proceed is a commercial and administrative process conducted between the Government, HS2 Ltd and its main works civil contractors, and does not therefore require a motion of parliamentary approval.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish an up-to-date cost estimate and business case for HS2 Phase 2A at least two weeks before the High Speed Rail (West Midlands–Crewe) Bill has its second reading in the House of Lords.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Department for Transport will periodically update the phase 2a cost estimate and business cases in line with the Government’s protocol for developing major projects. The HS2 Phase 2a Outline Business Case was published alongside the deposit of the Phase 2a hybrid Bill in July 2017. The Department intends to update the Phase 2a Business Case and cost estimate to inform the Full Business Case after the Phase 2a hybrid Bill achieves Royal Assent.

A1

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any of the 11 planned road building schemes announced by Highways England in April as being paused indefinitely affect the A1; and if so, which parts.

baroness vere of norbiton: In delivering the road investment strategy, Highways England routinely reviews its delivery plans to ensure that proposed road schemes will deliver value for money and minimise disruption for motorists. Highways England publishes its annual Delivery Plan each year to provide details of its planned work programme for the next 12 months and beyond. The next regular update of this is scheduled to be published this summer.

Lewes-Uckfield Railway Line

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to reconsider their decision to not reopen the Uckfield to Lewes railway line.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Government has no current plans to reinstate the line between Lewes and Uckfield, but are committed to improving services on both the Uckfield line and the wider Brighton Main Line. You may also be aware that £19.2m has been spent on the Uckfield line to enable longer ten car trains to operate, providing much needed extra seating and space for passengers.

Southern: Standards

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government why there are continuing weekend closures of the railway lines between Lewes, Seaford, Newhaven, Eastbourne, Hastings and London; and by which date such closures are expected to cease.

baroness vere of norbiton: I recognise these closures are inconvenient to passengers but they are nonetheless vital so that Network Rail can upgrade the railway and provide better reliability and improved passenger journeys for years to come. A further closure is required so that signaling work can take place later this year and once a date is agreed, it will be published so that passengers will be made aware.

Railways: Compensation

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reasons for the variation between train operating companies in the percentage of compensation claims from passengers which are rejected; amd what steps they are taking, if any, to ensure a more consistent approach to such compensation claims.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Department has not collected or made assessments as to the reasons for passenger claims being rejected. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR), as the industry regulator, is responsible for approving and monitoring train operator’s complaint handling procedures under which compensation claims are managed and deciding whether action is necessary. We are mandating increased use of technology through the introduction of simple and speedy ‘one-click’ automated claims systems, available via smartphones and smartcard registration. This forms part of obligations for future train operators under new franchises.

Motorways

baroness smith of gilmorehill: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the effectiveness of smart motorways; and how many penalty notices have been issued for non-compliance with smart motorway restrictions on each motorway.

baroness vere of norbiton: Smart motorways are an important part of the modernisation of England’s motorways. The Government’s policy is to implement smart motorways on the busiest sections of motorway, as they provide a way to increase capacity and improve performance without the need to widen the road. Smart motorways have reduced congestion and improved journey time reliability, by making the hard shoulder available as a traffic lane and using variable speed limits to smooth traffic flow. Each scheme has to meet a strict safety objective, which is to be at least as safe as a traditional motorway. An assessment of the first two smart motorway ‘all lane running’ schemes, on the M25, shows that they are delivering the intended benefits. This assessment is detailed in the ‘M25 J5-7 Monitoring Third Year Report’ and the ‘M25 J23-27 Monitoring Third Year Report’, both published on 16 July 2018 by Highways England. The issuing of penalty notices is a matter for the police force in each area, since Highways England is not an enforcement body.

Channel Ferries: Contracts

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effects of the recent decision to cancel the remaining contracts with no-deal Brexit ferry operators on supply chains in the freight sector.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Government does not expect there to be a significant impact on supply chains in the freight sector. Shippers will continue to have access to ferry and Channel Tunnel freight services provided on a commercial basis, as usual.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Commonwealth: Midwives and Nurses

lord crisp: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetherthey will be raising the proposal that 2020 be designated the Year of the Nurse and Midwife at the Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting on 19 May.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK recognises the vital work conducted by nurses and midwives across the Commonwealth and supports the WHO Executive Board's proposal for 2020 to be recognised as the “Year of the Nurse and Midwife”. We look forward to discussing important topics such as this at the Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting later this month.

Israeli Settlements: Water

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel about the plans of Mekorot Water to build a water pipeline through the West Bank (Area C) province of Qalqilya and Salfit in order to supply nearby Israeli settlements.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We have repeatedly made clear to the Israeli authorities our concerns about the damage to water sources and the destruction of Palestinian agricultural land that has been caused by settlement-related activity. We will continue to call on the Israeli authorities to cease such activity.

Israel: Palestinians

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel about their current withholding of tax revenues which are due tobe paid to the Palestinian Authority.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We have regularly raised with the Government of Israel our concerns about Israel's decision to withhold tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority (PA). We expect economic and fiscal agreements between Israel and the PA to continue to be fully implemented, including Israel's obligations under the Oslo Accords and Paris Protocol.

Palestinians: Prisoners

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ending of a hunger-strike by Palestinian prisoners in Israel affiliated to Hamas, and of theprovision of access by the government of Israel to public telephones in order for such prisonersto speak to their families; and whether they intend thank the government of Egypt for its assistance in this matter.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​While we have made no assessment on this specific issue, the British Government welcomes any steps towards the peaceful resolution of tensions and the end of hunger strikes; we welcome Egypt's role in this process. We regularly raise the situation of Palestinians in Israeli prisons with the Israeli authorities who have reiterated their commitment to treat prisoners and detainees humanely and in accordance with international law.

Pakistan: Minority Groups

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to assist Pakistani Ahmadi and Christian refugees,fleeing persecution in Pakistan and awaiting determination of their asylum cases in Sri Lanka,who are seeking refuge in police stations and elsewhere due to fear of targeted attacks on minorities.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government has agreed with Sri Lankan counterparts the need for inclusivity and respect for human rights in their response to the Easter Sunday attacks and underlined the importance of Sri Lankans working together to reduce intercommunal tensions. Minister for Security and Economic Crime Ben Wallace visited Sri Lanka on 2-3 May and reiterated these points.We have raised concerns with the Sri Lankan Government at reports of incidents of violence and intimidation against Muslims, refugees and asylum seekers since the Easter Sunday attacks. We have also raised concerns specifically about the situation in Negombo, where approximately 1,050 refugees were displaced from their ordinary places of residence and are now being temporarily housed.The British High Commission in Colombo is in regular contact with the Sri Lankan Government, UN agencies and civil society organisations who are working towards a sustainable solution, including to identify secure relocation options to ensure protection of both refugees and asylum seekers.The Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific and I have both met the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in recent weeks to raise concerns about refugees and minority rights in Sri Lanka. The Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific also addressed this issue in the House of Commons on 9 May.

Sri Lanka: Minority Groups

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of school textbooks in promoting a negative view of religious and ethnic minorities in Sri Lanka; what discussions they have had with the government of Sri Lanka and UN agencies about this; and what were the outcomes of any such discussions.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK has not made such an assessment. The UK regularly discuses human rights, reconciliation and the importance of social inclusion with the government of Sri Lanka, including through encouraging the implementation of UNHRC resolution 30/1. The UK has supported civil society organisations that have engaged children and youth across the country through social media, youth exchange programmes and the arts in breaking racial stereotypes and creating better ethnic and religious understanding and relations between communities. The British Council has initiated research on school culture in Sri Lanka that will look at issues including equality, rights, attitudes and community engagement to foster social inclusion. Through its Active Citizens programme the British Council brings together youth from different communities to work together on projects that address issues at the community level.

Asia Bibi

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 2 May (HL15272), what was the most recent response they received from the government of Pakistan about the right of Asia Bibi to join her family in Canada; and when they anticipate that this will take place.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government welcomes reports that Asia Bibi has been able to travel freely out of Pakistan and is now able to make decisions about her future.We also welcome the Pakistan Government’s commitment to the rule of law, following the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s decision in January to uphold her acquittal of blasphemy charges.Our primary concern has always been Asia Bibi’s safety and security. Since Asia Bibi’s sentencing in 2010, we have been in close and extensive contact with a range of international partners to support a positive outcome for her.

Department for Education

Children: Poverty

baroness primarolo: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Agnew of Oulton on 30 April (HL Deb, col 857), to what period the “huge progress on child poverty” refers.

lord agnew of oulton: I issued a letter of correction on 9 May 2019 explaining that my reference to children moving out of poverty since 2010 should have been a reference to the number of children in workless households. There are now 665,000 fewer children in workless households compared with 2010. A copy of my letter has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Children: Poverty

baroness primarolo: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Agnew of Oulton on 30 April (HL Deb, col 857), how many children have (1) moved out of poverty, and (2) moved into poverty, in each year since 2010 for which figures are available.

lord agnew of oulton: I issued a letter of correction on 9 May 2019 explaining that my reference to children moving out of poverty since 2010 should have been a reference to the number of children in workless households. There are now 665,000 fewer children in workless households compared with 2010. A copy of my letter has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Pupil Exclusions

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what actionthey have taken against those schools who are illegally off-rolling their pupils.

lord agnew of oulton: The department is clear that off-rolling is unacceptable, and whilst the department believes this practice is relatively rare, the government is committed to continue working with Ofsted to define and tackle the practice of off-rolling. Pupils leave school rolls for many reasons including: permanent exclusion, moving to another school, or changes of circumstances (such as when a pupil moves to a new area). All schools must notify the local authority when a pupil’s name is to be deleted from the admission register. There is no legal definition of ‘off-rolling’. However, the law is clear that a pupil’s name can only be deleted from the admission register on the grounds prescribed in regulation 8 of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006, as amended. Following media coverage of off-rolling in 2017, the department wrote to all secondary schools, reminding them of the rules surrounding exclusion. Ofsted already considers records of children taken off roll and has also recently consulted on proposals that will see a strengthened focus on this issue. It has proposed that where inspectors find off-rolling, this will always be addressed in the inspection report, and where appropriate will lead to a school’s leadership being judged inadequate. Ofsted will publish the outcome of its consultation soon. In March 2018, the government launched an externally-led review of exclusions practice, led by Edward Timpson CBE. The review explored how head teachers use exclusion, and why pupils with particular characteristics are more likely to be excluded from school. It has also considered the differences in exclusion rates across primary and secondary schools in England. The Timpson review and the government’s response were published on 7 May. The review makes 30 recommendations and highlights variation in exclusions practice across different schools, local authorities and certain groups of children. The government agrees with all 30 recommendation in principle, and the department has committed to working with education leaders over the summer to design a consultation on making schools accountable for the outcomes for permanently excluded children, to be launched in the autumn. Among other things, the department will seek views on how to mitigate the potential unintended consequences Edward Timpson has identified in his review, including how to tackle the practice of off-rolling.

Ministry of Justice

Social Security Benefits: Disability

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Tribunals Service intends to proceed with the introduction of Continuous Online Resolution for personal independence payments and employment and support allowance appeals; and in what circumstances a case would be considered unsuitable for consideration by such a process.

lord keen of elie: The system to support Continuous Online Resolution (COR) is currently being tested with the Tribunal’s judiciary. As soon as testing has shown the system to be robust, a small number of people with a pending Personal Independence Payment appeal will be invited to take part in an initial pilot of COR. Current indications are this is likely to commence before the summer. The Tribunal’s judiciary intend, following successful testing, to be able to offer COR to all appellants. A case would be unsuitable if the parties did not wish to undergo that process or the panel thought it unsuitable.

Youth Custody

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures are being applied to young offender institutions and secure training centres to make them safe and secure for staff and offenders, and appropriate for the provision of care for detainees.

lord keen of elie: Carrying on the youth justice reforms from 2017, we are providing funding for every Prison Officer in the Youth Custody Service to undertake a youth justice qualification and, on completion, transition into a new youth justice specialist role on promotion and at a higher pay-grade. Over 400 frontline staff are currently enrolled on this qualification. To better support young people in custody, we are rolling out the Custody Support Plan (CuSP) and implementing the use of Promoting Risk Intervention by Situational Management (PRISM). CuSP will provide each young person with a personal officer to work with in order to build trust and consistency. PRISM is an evidence-based process specifically designed and tested for use within custodial institutions. It provides a comprehensive framework for reviewing features of an environment that are known to contribute to the likelihood and emergence of violence. As well as this we are working closely with the NHS on ‘Secure Stairs’, which is a new integrated approach to strengthen the provision of health care to address the needs of young people holistically and co-ordinates services through a coherent, joined up approach. In addition, we are increasing psychology staff and support, and opening Enhanced Support Units for young people with the most complex needs.

Prisons: Bahrain

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports that a delegation headed by the director of Bahrain’s Jau Prison, Brigadier General Abdul Salam al-Araifi, visited correctional facilities inthe UK before Easter, by whom the visit was funded; and if it was funded by the Government, from which funding stream this came.

lord keen of elie: In April 2019, a delegation of officials from Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior visited HMP Berwyn and HMP Whitemoor. This delegation included Brigadier Abdulsalam al-Arifi, the Director General of Reformation and Rehabilitation in Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior. HMP Berwyn and Whitemoor provided complimentary refreshments for the delegation during their visits, at a cost of approximately £69.00 total. All other costs associated with the visit were borne by the delegation.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Tenants' Associations (Provisions Relating to Recognition and Provision of Information) (England) Regulations 2018

baroness thornhill: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review theTenants' Associations (Provisions Relating to Recognitionand Provision of Information) (England) Regulations 2018 which came into force on 1 November 2018.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government is working with the Tribunal to monitor the operation of the Statutory Instrument. If necessary, we will seek to review it in Autumn 2019.

Tenants' Associations

baroness thornhill: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the difficulties of forming and sustaining Recognised Tenants’ Associationssince theTenants' Associations (Provisions Relating to Recognitionand Provision of Information) (England) Regulations 2018 came into force on 1 November 2018; and whether there are nowexemptions which allow landlords to avoid recognition of proposedand existing Recognised Tenants’ Associations.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: At this stage, the Government has not received evidence of any difficulties related to the Statutory Instrument. However, we do recognise that it has only been in force for just over 6 months. We are monitoring the operation of the Statutory Instrument and will review it in Autumn 2019 if necessary.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

baroness golding: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many cattle have been tested positive for bovine tuberculosis and then following slaughter have been negative on post-mortem testing; and what progress has been made in producing an accurate test before cattle are slaughtered.

lord gardiner of kimble: The early detection and removal of tuberculosis (TB)-infected cattle before they develop advanced pathology and/or clinical signs of the disease (and thus become highly infectious) is a key element of bovine TB eradication programmes, including England’s 25 Year Bovine TB Strategy. To that effect, we use ante-mortem tests that measure the animals’ immune response to infection with the bovine TB bacterium (Mycobacterium bovis – M. bovis), rather than rely on direct detection methods. The single intradermal comparative cervical tuberculin (SICCT) test, commonly known as the ‘skin test’, together with the interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA), is the legal standard approved in the EU legislation for the diagnosis of TB in live cattle in the UK. As with cases of TB in humans, only a proportion of those animals infected with M. bovis and reacting to a tuberculin skin test or IGRA display gross lesions of TB when subjected to post-mortem meat inspection in the slaughterhouse. In 2017 (the last year for which an analysis of post-mortem findings is available), approximately 60% of the 32,000 cattle compulsorily removed for bovine TB control reasons in England as skin test reactors or IGRA positives did not have visible lesions of TB on post-mortem and were also negative for M. bovis on bacteriological culture (where performed). Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) are constantly striving for new ways to maximise the effectiveness of TB testing of cattle to achieve the objectives of the Strategy. APHA may exceptionally authorise the private use of non-validated diagnostic tests for bovine TB in herds where the disease is persistent, in order to help detect additional infected animals that may have been missed by the approved official tests (rather than to negate a positive result to such tests). A policy position paper on non-validated diagnostics for TB in cattle is now available on the APHA Vet Gateway (http://apha.defra.gov.uk/vet-gateway/index.htm). Over £4 million was allocated to TB research and development in 2018/19, with the anticipation of a similar spend this financial year. The majority of these finds are being invested in improving diagnostic tests alongside vaccine development. However, validation for a new test to World Organisation for Animal Health standards would only lead to official adoption if it demonstrated proven advantages in the detection of disease alongside the current test portfolio.

Eggs

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of eggs produced in the UK for enriched colony systems in 2019.

lord gardiner of kimble: UK Packing Station egg throughput figures are collated quarterly and cover the vast majority of total eggs produced. Eggs produced from hens in enriched colony systems accounted for 42% of the total throughput in the first quarter of 2019 in the UK. This equates to 1.2 billion eggs.

Peat

lord teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce regular reporting on the proportion of peat being sold in compost and used as a growing medium in horticulture.

lord teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey havemade of progress towardstheir voluntary targets for the phasing out of the use of peat from compost and horticulture for (1) 2020, and (2) 2030.

lord teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce mandatory targets for the phasing out of the use of peat for compost and horticulture; and whether any such targetswill be earlier than the current voluntary targets.

lord gardiner of kimble: We are working with the industry to put in place a replacement for our previous monitoring of peat use in growing media, which last reported in 2016. The 2016 report showed that peat use in 1) the amateur sector (2020 target) was down 21% in 2015 compared to 2011, and 2) the professional grower sector (2030 target) was down 26% since 2011. Nevertheless, whilst progress had been made in reducing peat use, it appears to be stalling. We stated in the 25 Year Plan for the Environment that if by 2020 we have not seen sufficient movement to peat alternatives, we will look at introducing further measures. We have been discussing how we should judge what constitutes “sufficient movement” away from peat use and what potential further measures could look like. These discussions are ongoing.

Home Office

Immigrants: Detainees

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 3 April (HL Deb, col 165), what is their definition of "indefinite" as applied to the term "indefinite detention".

baroness williams of trafford: It is not possible to detain people for an indefinite – or unrestricted – period.In order for detention to be lawful there must be a realistic prospect of the individual’s removal within a reasonable timescale.

Motorways: Cameras

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the amount of time that has been spent on giving type approval for the cameras needed to enforce regulations on smart motorways.

baroness williams of trafford: It is important that systems which are approved by the Home Office can be relied upon in court. They are therefore subjected to a stringent and robust process.The length of time that takes depends on many variables, not all of which are under the control of the Home Office, for example meeting the technical requirements, meeting deadlines for submission of devices and documentation and then performing satisfactorily during the testing stages.

Asylum: Religion

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 4 April (HL14728), what were the findings of their investigation into reports which indicated that some asylum decisions were not drafted in accordance with Home Office policy guidance on how asylum decision-makers are expected to approach religious-based claims.

baroness williams of trafford: After reports indicated that an asylum decision was not drafted in accordance with Home Office policy guidance, Asylum Operations conducted an investigation into this matter. A small number of religious conversion cases were sampled and no further cases were identified during this sampling exercise.All such decisions are currently subject to further scrutiny, pending the roll out of additional specialist training, which has been developed in collaboration with the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for International Freedom of Religion or Belief.The Asylum Learning and Development Team started to deliver the specialist training package on religious claims on Monday 8 April, which will be mandatory for all asylum decision-makers.

Immigration: EU Nationals

baroness kennedy of the shaws: To ask Her Majesty's Government which organisations they have commissioned to provide support to applicants to the EU Settlement Scheme.

baroness williams of trafford: Details of the 57 organisations awarded EU Settlement grant scheme funding will be announced mid-May once the commercial activity has been concluded.

Forced Marriage: Children and Young People

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times in 2018 the Forced Marriage Unit provided advice or support on forced marriageto (1) a person aged 15 or under, and (2) a person aged 16 or 17.

baroness williams of trafford: The UK is a world-leader in the fight to stamp out the brutal practice of forced marriage, with our joint Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) which leads efforts to combat it both at home and abroad. We made forced marriage a criminal offence in 2014 to better protect victims and send a clear message that this abhorrent practice is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated in the UK.The joint Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Home Office Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) operates a public helpline to provide advice and support to victims, those at risk, and professionals. Statistics on the number of cases dealt with by the FMU, including a breakdown by region and age, are published annually and available online at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/forced-marriage#statistics-on-forced-marriageFigures for 2018 will be published soon.

Cabinet Office

Political Parties: Finance

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Electoral Commission about putting in place safeguards to ensure that political parties do not receive donations from people promoting the interests of other countries during and between election campaigns.

lord young of cookham: The Electoral Commission in its 2018 report ‘Digital campaigning - Increasing transparency for voters’, included recommendations relating to foreign donations and campaigning. The Government has discussed these with the Electoral Commission.On 5th May 2019, the Government announced it will consult on safeguarding UK elections. The consultation may consider recommendations for increasing transparency on digital political advertising, including by third parties; closing loopholes on foreign spending in elections; preventing shell companies from sidestepping the current rules on political finance and on action to tackle foreign lobbying.

Political Parties: Limited Liability

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government which registered political parties in the UK have the status of also being companies with limited liability.

lord young of cookham: The Electoral Commission registers political parties and maintains the registers of political parties in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is independent of the Government and accountable to Parliament.The Electoral Commission publishes a database of registered political parties on its website. This includes whether a political party is also a campaigner. Further information can be found at: http://search.electoralcommission.org.uk.

Department for International Trade

Trade Fairs: Iraq

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many UK construction and professional firms they expect to attend the Erbil International Fair in northern Iraq in June.

viscount younger of leckie: The Construction fair taking place in Erbil in June (26 June – 29 June) is advertised as a ‘Made in Iraq’ fair, so consequently will attract primarily local dealers and contractors, and we are not aware of any UK firms planning to attend. The Erbil International Trade Fair (30 Sept - 03 Oct) is the biggest international multi-sector trade fair organised in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. UK companies that attend the Fair are likely to decide to participate closer to the time, though are more likely to participate as delegates or visitors rather than as exhibitors. In previous years, the local distributors of JLR and JCB have exhibited.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Heritage Lottery Fund: Public Records

lord aberdare: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply byLord Ashton of Hyde on 24 April (HL Deb, cols 600–602) on records held by the National Lottery Heritage Fund that the fund took legal advice and that even if it had retained the records, “it would not have been able to make them available”, what was the nature of the legal advice taken; and on what grounds it was argued that such records could not be made available.

lord ashton of hyde: The National Lottery Heritage Fund (the Fund) took advice from its professional legal advisors as to the legal status of the Conservation Management Plans, which included advice on copyright and on the implications to the Fund if they were to make the CMPs available to third parties. The advice concluded that if the Fund disclosed the Conservation Management Plans it would risk being in breach of copyright

Heritage Lottery Fund: Public Records

lord aberdare: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply byLord Ashton of Hyde on 24 April (HL Deb, cols 600–602), what specific steps the National Lottery Heritage Fund will take to “strengthen the emphasis on creating a legacy record for funded projects and on making this publicly accessible wherever possible”.

lord ashton of hyde: The National Lottery Heritage Fund (the Fund) is in discussions with various representatives from the archives sector, including The National Archives and the Archives and Records Association. The aim of these discussions is to find ways to ensure that grant recipients make application material more widely accessible in future, partly by removing practical obstacles to doing so. The Fund is also expediting the compilation of a list of 1300 park and garden projects for which Conservation Management Plans may have been produced, which they will make available to interested parties upon request.

Heritage Lottery Fund: Public Records

lord aberdare: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply byLord Ashton of Hyde on 24 April (HL Deb, cols 600–602), whether records held by the National Lottery Heritage Fund were digitally recorded before the physical copies were de-stroyed; if so, what form this digitisation took; what facilities the digital version offers; who holds the digitised version; and what access there is for the public and other users.

lord ashton of hyde: The National Lottery Heritage Fund (the Fund) digitally recorded documents critical to its grant contracts, and securely destroyed records no longer required for retention. The documents that were retained were scanned in PDF format. The retained records are held by the Fund, and are not accessible to the public because they contain confidential commercial information. Data regarding the Fund’s grant decisions has recently been released as part of its commitment to Open Data.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

House of Lords Terrace: Smoking

lord storey: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what assessment he has made of smoking on the Lords’ Terrace.

lord laming: The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chairman of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf. Smoking is permitted on the Lords’ Terrace in the designated smoking area adjacent to the House of Commons and on the Peers’ smoking table, which is located near the top of the ramp and is currently outside the designated smoking area. The Services Committee will consider a paper on this matter at its meeting in June.